Just A Kid
by CrystalThunder
Summary: Kid Death is a fairly regular child. Except for the fact he's a shinigami just like his father - and his younger sister. As the two grow up togther, will Morta be his greatest rival- or his best friend?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Birth**

The small toddler rolled over onto his stomach and sucked on his skull shaped rattle, kicking his legs in a bored fashion. Though he was only one, he could already speak well formed sentences and do other things that one year olds shouldn't be capable of.

But of course, this was Shingami-sama's child.

His first child to be exact, one who had already shown much promise to his father. Kid Death. Now Kid was waiting for something he already felt he had waited for long enough: his baby brother.

Finally the nurse entered the room with a bundle in her arms and Kid got to his knees and reached up.

"You want to see her?"

"Hwer?" Kid frowned. "Her" implied female. "Her" suggested tea parties and frilly hats and other things that Spirit-sama had babbled about his daughter making him do.

"Yes. This is your little sister Kid. Say hi," the nurse cooed.

Kid peered inside the bundle to see his sleeping baby sister sporting wisps of coal hair. She blew bubbles in her slumber. Suddenly, the newborn snapped open her golden eyes and glared at Kid as if he had committed a sin by seeing her helpless and innocent.

She growled at him.

Kid sat back down on his bottom and sucked his thumb, baffled. Shouldn't girls be sweet and nice?

"It is wreally a girl?" he asked.

"Yes, Kid. This is your sister," the nurse repeated.

"No, it's my bruvver because girls are nice. This baby is mean."

The sister giggled.

"No, Morta is very nice. See, she's laughing!"

Kid got on his knees again to see for himself. Yes, Morta was laughing but, unless Kid was crazy, she was giving him a dirty look out the corner of her eye.

Was he the only one who saw this could be a problem?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Aim**

_Whoosh!_

Kid narrowly dodged a spoonful of applesauce.

"She threw food at me again!"

"Forgive her Kid. Morta's not quite as advanced as you were at two."

_What lies._ Kid scoffed and went back to his cereal. _She's always reading big books when she thinks I'm not looking._

Morta giggled and tapped her spoon on Kid's bowl. "Fwood, fwood!"

Kid glared at her and she returned the hostility.

He sighed as the nurse washed the dishes. Kid spooned some of his cereal up and offered it to the toddler.

"Hmmm..." Morta eyed the spoon suspiciously.

"Eat it."

Morta clamped onto the spoon, swallowed the treat, and gave him a taste of her soul. Though he was the one who was being shocked, Morta burst into tears as if Kid had hurt her.

"Kid, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! She just shocked me!"

"Kid, she can barely talk! Little boys shouldn't lie!"

"But I'm not lying!"

"KID."

"Yes'm."

Morta sniffled in the nurse's arms all the while smirking over her caretaker's shoulder at Kid.

He focused hard on his cereal.

Was he supposed to wage war on his two year old sister?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Closer**

Death City was experiencing thunderstorms and lightning lit up the halls of the Shinigami mansion.

Thunder crashed all around its walls, shaking the very foundation of the house.

Unable to sleep from all of this noise and light, Kid Death had gone for a stroll through the mansion.

There was nothing the five year old particularly wanted that night, just some air and time to stretch and think alone. He passed by his sister's room warily. She'd often placed traps and gags of sorts outside her door and Kid had often fallen prey to them. They both experimented with their Shinigami powers but only Morta had gone so far as to use them on her sibling.

However, tonight, instead of a soul shock or a runaway scooter, Kid was greeted with the sounds of gentle sobbing. As he listened more closely, he heard an increase in the terrified sobs with every flash of lightning or peal of thunder.

Taking his chances, Kid pushed open the already slightly ajar door.

Morta was curled up with a teddy bear in a corner of her room. She shivered and sniffled from the cold of the linoleum floor and her own tears. Too frightened to notice her brother, she squealed and dived under her bed covers at a particularly loud clap of thunder. The whole bed trembled as a result of her fear.

Kid crept over to the quivering lump and sat next to it.

Morta peeked out, eyes wide with anxiety and exhaustion, then she hid once again as thunder ruled the sky.

Kid patted the area where her head disappeared into, and along with the storm, the trembling gradually stopped and was replaced by a gentle snoring.

As much as Kid wanted to stay with his little sister, he'd tucked her in just like the nurse did and left silently to return to his own room.

It was better not to push his luck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Connected**

"Can I read it?" Morta asked.

"When I'm done Mort."

"Don't call me that." Morta climbed onto the arm of Kid's big, comfortable, library chair.

"Why not?" Kid asked, turning a page and devouring the information with his eyes.

"You know why." Morta glared at him with golden eyes.

"So you finally looked up the etymology of your name?" He met her eyes, amused.

"Yes. Now shut up."

"And you know it's-"

"IT'S REDUNDANT, YES, I KNOW!" Morta collapsed on the floor sobbing, cursing herself and her name. "It's not fair, I have no meaning. I'm just a repetition of my father. I'm not even worth being an individual. Why am I living? I deserve to die! I want to die~!"

Kid sighed and patted her on the back. "It could be worse. You could actually be named "Death" and that would make it even more obviously redundant and all the more humiliating. At least Father had sense enough to name you something else so you're under the radar."

"You think so?" Morta sniffled and looked up at her seven year old brother.

"Yes."

Morta sat up cross legged and wiped her eyes.

"And his reason for naming you Kid?"

Kid stiffened and sighed. "Who knows…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Research**

"Kid, why are you always in here so much lately?" Morta moaned, pushing open the library door. She stopped abruptly.

Her brother was sprawled out on a chair with stacks of books surrounding him. "It's not in here~!" he groaned.

Morta strolled over and yanked him to his feet. "Kid, I don't care what the heck you're looking for! You haven't even given anybody the slightest idea of what you want for your birthday! WHICH IS TOMORROW!"

"I'm looking for i~t," he whined.

"Stop whining Mr. almost-nine-year-old. What are you looking for?"

"Father said...that something big was going to happen to me on my ninth birthday..."

"You're gonna get older...duh," said the no nonsense seven year old.

"Is that all? Was Father just messing with me?"

"Probably," Morta sighed.

Grumbling, Kid gathered the books up and begain to put them in their places.

Morta helped him and in no time they were done.

"So what do you want for your birthday Kid?" Morta asked with her patience stretched thin.

"I want a mirror first thing in the morning."

"Right! Will do!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Symmetry**

Kid stopped suddenly in front of a painting in the hall on the way to dinner.

"What is it?"

"This painting is off center."

Morta stared at him.

"Maybe if I push it this way…" He did so.

"Oh, it's still off center." He pushed it some more to the other side.

This continued for a full five minutes until Morta got fed up.

"Hey look!" She exclaimed, pushing the painting almost vertical. "It's really off center now, don't-cha think Big Brother?"

"Why-why, why would you do that?" Kid sputtered as Morta dragged him away to the dining room. "Morta! You're still evil!"

"Like no way."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Stripes**

"Nii-saaan! Happy Birthday! I brought you a mirror just like you said you wanted."

Kid sat up like the living dead, which I guess you could say we are. I squeaked. Kid would have a fit. He'd kill himself. I couldn't-

"Give me the mirror."

"Nope, nope, nope, noooooo!" I held the mirror close to my body and backed away.

His eyes were molten gold as he demanded, "Give. Me. The Mirror."

I hopped on Mephisto and zoomed out of his room.

"MORTAAAAA!" Kid was right behind on his skateboard, Beezlebub. Stupid scooter, I had to steer with one hand and hold the mirror with the other; Kid would catch me in no time.

"Aaaaaaaaaah! Noooooo, Nii-saaaaaaan!" I wailed. "You don't wanna see!" I veered left into Dad's Death Room. "Daaaaaaaaddyyyyyy! Dont let him see!"

I tumbled off my scooter and almost to Father's feet, still clutching the mirror.

"Mortaa! GIVE ME THE MIRROR!" Kid growled, unaware of Dad behind me.

"Noooooo!" I hiccupped as he tried to pry it from my arms. "OVER MY DEAD BODY. I"M NOT LETTING

YOU SEE!" I was pissed off now and ready to fight. I didn't care how stupid the reason seemed, this was something that would tear Kid apart for the rest of his life. This OCD freak would never get over it.

We locked eyes, scorching gold on scorching gold. Neither of us was wiling to back down.

"DIRECT NOGGIN SHINIGAMI CHOP!"

Leave it to Dad...

Both Kid and I fell to the floor in agony

"Owie, owie, owie...that's gonna leave a mark," I moaned, still feebly grasping the mirror, eyes shut in pain.

"Now then, what seems to be the problem my dear children whom I thought to be mature and responsible and excellent in every way?"

"Daddy, it's not like that-"

"But it is like that Father! I only asked for one thing this year and it was to have a mirror as soon as I woke up. But now Morta won't let me have it."

"Ah, Mort, so you don't want him to see _them_?"

"No! He's so OCD he'll freak if sees _them_!" I wailed, struggling to my feet.

"You can't hide _them_ from him his whole life."

"He's going to kill himself!"

"If Kid really wants to be able to call himself my son, he will get over _them_ and continue living. So give him the mirror."

Sulking, I handed Kid the mirror.

Kid took a deep breath and took a look into the glass.

He blinked. "That's all it was?" he asked.

My eyes widened at my brother who had spent an hour the night before lining up his bed sheets before getting into them, the brother who I had to slap because he wanted to do the same with mine. This was the same brother who was scoffing at three horizontal white strips that favored the left side of his hair and ruined his chances for complete personal symmetry.

"Can I hit him, Chichiue?"

"No."

I sighed.

"Come on Mort. Let's go eat breakfast. So sorry for the trouble Father."

"It's fine, Kid. Happy ninth birthday! Enjoy your new stripes! They look adorable!"

Kid practically dragged me out of the Death Room. Once we were out of ear shot and into Kid's room,

the brother I knew came back.

Kid flopped onto his bed and burrowed himself under the covers. "Why is this so torturous? Why me? What have I done? Oh how revolting, how disgusting I am! Marred by these three striped; I am ruined! Mort, what am I going to do?"

I sighed. "Why should I care?"

Kid peeked out from under the covers. "You're my sister."

"Yeah, yeah. I think you need to get over them. They don't ruin you completely. You can still be symmetrical with everything else."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Let's go eat."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Names**

One day, I decided that I was going to suck it up and ask.

"Dad, I have an important question to ask you."

"Morta, dear, you're only eight. There's no reason for you to know where babies come from."

"That's not what I was asking!"

"Oh, well okay then. Go ahead."

"Why did you name me Morta?"

"Oh, it could have been worse," Dad chuckled, not answering my question.

"What! How?"

"I could have named you Kid."

"You call that worse?"

"Well think about it; no matter how old you got, you'd always be a Kid."

"Sweet!" Cackling manically, I dashed off to tell Kid.

As I was running down the hall to find my brother, I realized Dad had never really answered my question.

"Dang it!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Guns**

As I was busy practicing fighting in the woods just outside of Death City, Kid came running up to me.

"Look what Dad got me!"

"Should I care? My birthday's next week, I'll get whatever I want." I kicked a tree a few times, spun off of it, and kicked it once more. "What is it? Hair dye?" I smirked at him.

Kid tried to kick me but I blocked him. As we strained against each other, each trying to knock the other down, Kid held up the gifts in his hands.

"Water guns? Ooh, I'm so scared."

"You should be! Feel the wrath of Kid Death!" He flipped the guns upside down.

"What the-? Idiot, you can't shoot with your pink-OW!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Symmetrits**

"Kid, what the heck are you doing?"

Kid closed his measuring tape and looked down on me. "I'm making it symmetrical."

I pushed the picture to the side.

"Nooo! Morta!"

I jumped on his back, restraining him. "Take it like a man!"

We stared at the picture for a few moments.

"AUGH! So disgusting!" We squealed, and got on either side of the picture and fixed it.

"See? We can work together to make the world more symmetrical!" Kid's eyes sparkled at the thought.

I growled. "Dammit Kid! You've infected me!"

"Huh? With what?"

"Symmetritis!"

"Um, well, happy early birthday?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Defiance**

"I'll bring you a mirror tomorrow morning." Kid promised.

I munched on my hamburger and kicked him under the dinner table. "Who says I'll need it?"

"It's your ninth birthday. You'll get them whether you like it or not."

"Hmph. My hair will stay nice and symmetrical."

"No it won't!

"Yes it will!"

"No, it won't because that's when my stripes appeared!"

"Well, you're YOU!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Sorrrow**

"Mort, wake up."

"No, I'm sleeping in today," I moaned.

"You wanna look at your hair or not?" I heard him tap his foot impatiently.

I bolted upright in bed and snatched the mirror out of his hand.

There they were. On the same side as Kid's.

Sniffling, I handed Kid the mirror back.

Then, I burrowed under the covers and cried.

Kid patted my back awkwardly. "Shh... it's okay."

"This is the worst birthday ever..."


End file.
